Charger device for a portable electronic device

ABSTRACT

A device having an electrical plug, such as a charger device, includes a locking member coupled to a carriage that is movable into a housing. Prongs of the device are movable between a retracted position and an extended position along two different travel paths by actuating the prongs or by actuating the carriage.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present embodiments relate to electrical devices having anelectrical plug with prongs to interface with an electrical outlet orreceptacle, such as charger devices having stowable prongs.

BACKGROUND

Many different types of portable electronic devices are currentlyavailable including: personal data assistants (PDAs), smart phones,handheld computers, two-way pagers, music players and cellulartelephones, for example. These portable electronic devices are typicallypowered by rechargeable power packs, which may include rechargeablebatteries, such as rechargeable lithium-ion or nickel cadmium batteries,for example. Rechargeable power packs may be re-charged from a lowcharge state using a charger that plugs into an electrical wall outletand the portable electronic device.

Some electrical devices having an electrical outlet with prongs thatinterface with an electrical receptacle, and that have stowable prongs,that is, prongs that are deployed during use and that are stowed whennot in use. An illustrative device that may benefit from stowable prongsis a charger device that provides power to or recharges a power pack ofa portable electronic device as described above. In general, chargerdevices having stowable prongs are smaller than devices havingpermanently deployed prongs. By reducing the size of the charger device,transportation of the charger device is more convenient for users.

DRAWINGS

The following figures set forth embodiments of the invention in whichlike reference numerals denote like parts. Embodiments of the inventionare illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in theaccompanying figures.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example portable electronic device;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a charging device coupled to the portableelectronic device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a charger unit according to anembodiment;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the charger unit of FIG. 3 with electricalcomponents omitted;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the locking member of the charger unit ofFIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the charger unit of FIG. 3 with a coverremoved;

FIG. 7 is another isometric view of the charger unit of FIG. 3 with thecover removed;

FIG. 8 is an isometric sectional view on 8-8 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is an isometric sectional view on 9-9 of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 10 is an isometric view illustrating operation of the charger unitof FIG. 3;

FIG. 11A is an isometric sectional view illustrating operation of thecharger unit of FIG. 3;

FIG. 11B is a side view of portions of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12A is another isometric sectional view illustrating operation ofthe charger unit of FIG. 3;

FIG. 12B is another side view of portions of FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is an isometric view of the charger unit of FIG. 3 illustratingoperation in a first extending mode;

FIG. 14A is an isometric sectional view of the charger unit of FIG. 3illustrating operation in the second extending mode; and

FIG. 14B is a side view of portions of FIG. 14; and

FIG. 15 is an isometric view of the charger unit of FIG. 3 illustratingoperation in a second extending mode.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The concepts described herein may be applied to variety of electricaldevices, but for convenience, the concepts will be described withreference to a charger. In addition, the concepts will be describedherein with respect to electrical plugs similar to those used in NorthAmerica, having bladed prongs without a grounding connector. Theconcepts may be adapted to electrical plugs having grounding connectors.The concepts may further be applicable to plugs used outside of NorthAmerica. Furthermore, the term “prongs” as used herein encompasses avariety of male electrical connectors, whether they are blades, roundpins, half-round pins, rectangular pins or any other conformation.

In an aspect there is provided a charger device including: a housing;prongs for engaging an electrical outlet, the prongs being coupled toone another by a cross-member and movable relative to the housingbetween a retracted position in which the prongs are received in thehousing and an extended position in which the prongs protrude from thehousing, the prongs being biased toward the extended position; aprojection extending from a side of the cross-member; a locking membercoupled to a carriage for moving into and out of engagement with theprojection and being pivotable, the locking member comprising a ribseparating a first travel path and a second travel path, the lockingmember being biased toward a non-pivoted position by a locking memberspring and the carriage being biased toward a first position; andelectrical components for electrically communicating with a portableelectronic device to enable charging of a power pack of the portableelectronic device; wherein the prongs are movable from the retractedposition to the extended position along the first travel path and alongthe second travel path.

Referring to FIG. 1, components of an example portable electronic device10 are generally shown. The portable electronic device is just one ofmany electronic devices that may use a charger having stowable prongs,and in some cases, the portable electronic device itself may includestowable prongs. The portable electronic device 10 includes datacommunication capabilities and may communicate with other electronicdevices directly or through a wireless network. The portable electronicdevice 10 is based on the computing environment and functionality of ahandheld computer, such as a wireless personal digital assistant (PDA),for example. It will be understood, however, that the portableelectronic device 10 is not limited to a wireless personal digitalassistant. Other portable electronic devices are possible, such ascellular telephones, smart telephones, electronic messaging devices,music players, gaming devices, remote controls and laptop computers, forexample.

The portable electronic device 10 includes a number of componentsincluding a processor 14, which controls the overall operation of thedevice 10. A communication subsystem 40 controls data and voicecommunication functions, such as email, PIN (Personal IdentificationNumber) message functions, SMS (Short Message Service) message functionsand cellular telephone functions, for example. The communicationsubsystem 40 is in communication with a wireless network 12, which maybe a data-centric wireless network, a voice-centric wireless network ora dual-mode wireless network.

In FIG. 1, the communication subsystem 40 is a dual-mode wirelessnetwork that supports both voice and data communications. Thecommunication subsystem 40 is configured in accordance with the GlobalSystem for Mobile Communication (GSM) and General Packet Radio Services(GPRS) standards. The communication subsystem 40 may alternatively beconfigured in accordance with Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE) orUniversal Mobile Telecommunications Service (UMTS) standards. Otherwireless networks may also be associated with the portable electronicdevice 10, including Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) or CDMA2000networks. Some other examples of data-centric networks include WiFi802.11, Mobitex™ and DataTAC™ network communication systems. Examples ofother voice-centric data networks include Personal Communication Systems(PCS) networks like GSM and Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)systems.

The wireless network 12 includes base stations (not shown) that providea wireless link to the portable electronic device 10. Each base stationdefines a coverage area, or cell, within which communications betweenthe base station and the portable electronic device 10 can be effected.It will be appreciated that the portable electronic device 10 is movablewithin the cell and can be moved to coverage areas defined by othercells. Data is delivered to the portable electronic device 10 viawireless transmission from the base station. Similarly, data is sentfrom the portable electronic device 10 via wireless transmission to thebase station.

The communication subsystem 40 further includes a short rangecommunications function, which enables the device 10 to communicatedirectly with other devices and computer systems without the use of thewireless network 12 through infrared or Bluetooth™ technology, forexample.

Prior to the portable electronic device 10 being able to send andreceive communication signals over the wireless network 12, networkregistration or activation procedures typically have been completed. Inorder to enable network communication, a SIM (Subscriber IdentityModule) card 24 is inserted into a card interface 26. The SIM card, orRemovable User Identity Module card, is used to identify the user of themobile device, store personal device settings and enable access tonetwork services, such as email and voice mail, for example, and is notbound to a particular portable electronic device 10.

The processor 14 is also connected to a Random Access Memory (RAM) 16and a flash memory 18. An operating system and device software aretypically stored in flash memory 18 and are executable by the processor14. Some device software components may alternatively be stored in RAM16. The portable electronic device 10 includes computer executableprogrammed instructions for directing the portable electronic device 10to implement various applications. Some examples of applications thatmay be stored on and executed by the device 10 include: electronicmessaging, games, calendar, address book and music player applications.Software applications that control basic device operation, such as voiceand data communication, are typically installed during manufacture ofthe device 10. For devices that do not include a SIM card 24, useridentification information may be programmed into the flash memory 18.The flash memory 18 may alternatively be a persistent storage, aRead-Only Memory (ROM) or other non-volatile storage.

The processor 14 receives input from various input devices including akeypad 38 and other input devices 36. The keypad 38 may be a completealphanumeric keypad or telephone-type keypad. The other input devices 36may replace or complement the keypad 38 to facilitate input and mayinclude devices such as: single or multi-function buttons, a touchscreen, a mouse, a trackball, a capacitive touch sensor or a rollerwheel with dynamic button pressing capability. The portable electronicdevice 10 of FIG. 1 is shown by way of example and it will beappreciated by a person skilled in the art that many different devicetypes, shapes and input device configurations are possible.

The processor 14 outputs to various output devices including an LCDdisplay screen 20. A microphone 32 and speaker 22 are connected to theprocessor 14 for cellular telephone functions. A data port 34 isconnected to the processor 14 for enabling data communication betweenthe portable electronic device 10 and another computing device.

The power pack for portable electronic device 10 may be any kind ofpower pack, typically having one or more rechargeable elements. Forsimplicity, the power pack will be illustrated as one or morerechargeable batteries 30. Battery interface 28 enables electriccommunication between one or more rechargeable batteries 30 and theprocessor 14, that is, the battery interface 28 enables electric powerto be delivered from one or more rechargeable batteries 30 to theprocessor (and perhaps other electrical components as well). A charginginterface 44 provides a connection between the rechargeable battery 30and a charger device 46, which is shown in FIG. 2, when the battery 30is being recharged. The data port 34 may be incorporated into thecharging interface 44 to provide data lines for data transfer and asupply line for charging a battery 30 of the portable device 10.

The portable electronic device 10 is operable in a data communicationmode and a voice communication mode. In the data communication mode, areceived data signal representing information such as a text message, anemail message, a media file to be transferred, or web page download isprocessed by the communication subsystem 40 and input to the processor14. The processor 14 further processes the signal and renders images fordisplay on the display screen 20. Alternatively, the processed signalsmay be output to another computing device through the data port 34. Inorder to transmit information in the data communication mode, the userof the portable electronic device 10 composes information fortransmission, such as email messages, for example, using the keypad 38and other input devices 36 in conjunction with the display screen 20.The composed information is transmitted through the communicationsubsystem 40 over the wireless network 12 or via short rangecommunications. Operation of the portable electronic device 10 in thevoice communication mode is similar to the data communication mode,however, the received signals are output to the speaker 22, or anauxiliary device such as a headset or headphones, and signals fortransmission are generated by the microphone 32. The portable electronicdevice 10 may also include other voice subsystems, such as a voicemessage recording subsystem, for example. Jack 42 is provided forreceiving an audio accessory such as headphones, a headset, amplifiedspeakers or amplified headphones, for example. Jack 42 may also receiveother accessories such as a multi-media accessory including play, pause,stop and rewind buttons or a TV-out accessory that allows for connectionof the portable electronic device to a TV, for example.

Only a limited number of device subsystems have been described. It willbe appreciated by a person skilled in the art that additional subsystemscorresponding to additional device features may also be connected to theprocessor 14. Further, although many subsystems that use electricalpower have been described, the concepts described herein may beapplicable to devices that include subsystems that use electrical power,even if such subsystems have not been specifically described.

Referring to FIG. 2, a charger device 46 is generally shown coupled tothe portable electronic device 10. The charger device 46 includes acharger unit 50 and a cable 48 for connecting the charger unit 50 to theportable electronic device 10. The cable 48 includes a connector (notshown) for coupling to the charging interface 44 of the portableelectronic device 10. Connectors of this type are well known in the artand therefore will not be described further here. The charger device 46may be used with any type of portable electronic device 10 that includesa rechargeable power pack. Examples of portable electronic devices 10include: personal data assistants (PDAs), smart phones, handheldcomputers, two-way pagers, music players and cellular telephone, forexample. Typically the charger device 46 includes one or more electricalcomponents for electrically communicating with the portable electronicdevice 10. That is, the charger device 46 may include components thatconvey and/or condition power from an outlet to enable charging of thepower pack of the portable electronic device 10. Such electricalcomponents may include components such as wires or other conductors,transformers, rectifiers and voltage regulators.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the charger unit 50 includes a base 52, aprong unit 54, a locking mechanism 56 and a cover 58 that is coupled tothe base 52. When assembled, the cover 58 and an end plate 62 of thebase 52 provide a housing 64 that may be handled by a user of theportable electronic device 10 when plugging prongs 66 of the chargerunit 14 into an electrical outlet (not shown). A prong unit spring 85, alocking mechanism spring 92 and a locking member spring 95 are furtherprovided within the housing 64.

The base 52 includes four prong unit guides 70 that extend from the endplate 62 of the base 52. The prong unit guides 70 define a passage 72that is sized for slidably receiving the prong unit 54. A post 74extends generally from a centre of the end plate 62 and base flange 88extends upwardly from the end plate 62 to act as a stopper for thelocking mechanism spring 92.

The base 52 further includes detents 80 that are coupled to the endplate 62. The detents are sized for mating with apertures 82, which areprovided on opposite sides of the cover 58. The detents 80 are receivedin the apertures 82 to hold the cover 58 and the base 52 together whenassembled, as shown in FIG. 3. Alternatively, the base 52 and cover 58may be coupled to one another using an adhesive or an ultrasonic weldingprocess.

Prongs 66 of the prong unit 54 are coupled to one another by across-member 84. The cross-member 84 is generally rectangular incross-section, however, may alternatively be circular, oval, square orany other suitable shape. The cross-member 84 includes an aperture 86for receiving the post 74. A projection 94 extends outwardly from thecross-member 84. The projection 94 is generally cylindrical in shape,however, may alternatively be oval or diamond shape, for example. Theprong unit 54 is slidable relative to the base 52 along a longitudinalaxis of the post 74 to move the prongs 66 into and out of the housing64. Spacers 55 are coupled to the cross-member 84 for abutting an innersurface of the cover 58.

The locking mechanism 56 includes a carriage 90, a locking member 96 andthe locking member spring 95. The carriage 90 includes an end 98 that isprovided between a first arm 102 and a second arm 100. The end 98 of thelocking mechanism 56 is aligned with a cutout 104 of the cover 58 sothat it is accessible by the user to function as a button. The prongunit guides 70 that are located adjacent to the end 98 of the carriage90 are provided with cutouts 75, which allow the locking mechanism 56 toslide a predetermined distance into the charger unit 50.

Referring also to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, the second arm 100 of the lockingmechanism includes a pair of recesses 116, for receiving pins 118 of thelocking member 96, and a stopper 105, which extends toward the baseplate 62 when the charger unit 50 is assembled. A spring abuttingportion 114 extends from the first arm 102. When assembled, the springabutting portion 114 is aligned with the base flange 88 to define arecess for receiving the locking mechanism spring 92.

The locking member 96 is a multi-faceted part that includes a first end122 including the pins 118 and a second end 124 that is pivotable abouta pin axis 126 when the locking member 96 is coupled to the carriage 90.The locking member spring 95 biases the locking member 96 toward alocked position. The locking member 96 includes a rib 132, which isprovided on an inner side 130 of a locking member body 135. The rib 132divides the inner side 130 into a first surface 134 and a second surface136 to separate a first travel path and a second travel path, as will bedescribed later. Referring also to FIG. 6, an outer side 128, which isopposite the inner side 130 is generally perpendicular to the base plate62 when assembled in the charger device 50 and in the locked position.The first surface 134 is generally parallel to the outer side 128 andthe second surface 136 is disposed at an angle thereto such that aheight of the rib 132 relative to the second surface decreases betweenthe first end 122 and the second end 124. The rib 132 includes a secondrib surface 138 and a first rib surface 140. The second rib surface 138is adjacent to the first surface 134 and is disposed at an angle. Thefirst rib surface 140 is adjacent to the second surface 136 and isgenerally perpendicular to the outer side 128. As shown in FIG. 5, aportion of the rib 132 extends beyond the locking member body 135 andincludes a first locking surface 142 that is adjacent to a first lockingsurface stop 143. A second locking surface 144 is provided at the secondend 124.

The locking member 96 may be a molded piece, or alternatively, thelocking member may be manufactured using another suitable method such asmilling or machining, for example.

The locking mechanism 56 is movable between a first position and asecond position and is biased toward the first position by the firstlocking spring 92. In the first position, the end surface 106 isgenerally flush with an outer surface 108 of the cover 58. In the secondposition, the end surface 106 is received within the housing 64. Thelocking member 96 is biased toward the locked position by the lockingmember spring 95, which is coupled to an inner surface of the cover 58adjacent to the locking member 96 and contacts the outer side 128 of thelocking member 96 adjacent to the second end 124 of the locking member96.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, electrical components 112 of the chargerunit 50 are shown schematically. The electrical components 112 includean electrical contact part (not shown) for contacting the prongs 66 andelectrical components provided between the electrical contact part andthe cable 48 of the charger device 46 for transferring electrical energyfrom the electrical outlet to the portable electronic device 10. Theelectrical contact part may be a metal spring contact or a brush similarto a brush of an electric motor, for example. The electrical components112 of charging devices are well known in the art and therefore will notbe described further herein. An aperture (not shown) is provided in thehousing 64 to allow for communication between the cable 48 and theelectrical components 112.

Referring also to FIGS. 8 and 9, when assembled, the prong unit 34 andthe prong unit spring 85 are received over the post 74 of the base 52.The pins 118 of the locking member 96 are received in the correspondinggrooves 116 of the carriage 90 and the carriage 90 rests on supports120, which extend from the end plate 62 of the base 52.

The prongs 66 of the charger unit 50 are movable between an extendedposition and a retracted position and are biased toward the extendedposition by the prong unit spring 85. In the extended position, theprongs 66 protrude through slots 110 of the cover 58. In the retractedposition, the prongs 66 are received within the housing 64. The prongs66 in the retracted position may be, but need not be, completelyreceived within the housing 64. In one embodiment discussed below, acomparatively small portion of the prongs 66 may protrude through one ormore slots 110, so that the user may apply a force against the prongs 66to release them into the extended position. When the prongs 66 are inthe extended position, the projection 94 abuts the second lockingsurface 144 located at the second end 124 of the locking member 96. Whenthe prongs are in the retracted position, the projection 94 abuts thefirst locking surface 142 at the first end 122 of the locking member 96.

In the embodiments described herein, there is one general mode ofoperation for moving the prongs 66 from the extended position to theretracted position and two general modes of operation for moving theprongs 66 from the retracted position to the extended position. A singledevice may employ one or both modes for moving the prongs 66 to theextended position.

When charging of the portable electronic device 10 has finished and theuser wishes to stow the charger device 46, the user operates the chargerunit 50 as shown in FIG. 10 in order to move the prongs 66 from theextended position to the retracted position. The user first pushes theend 98 of the locking mechanism 56 into the housing 64 to move thesecond locking surface 144 of the locking member 96 out of engagementwith the projection 94 of the prong unit 54, as shown in FIGS. 11A and11B. The user then pushes the prongs 66 into the housing 64 and releasesthe locking mechanism 56. As the prongs 66 are being pushed into thehousing 64, the projection 94 slides along the second rib surface 138 ofthe rib 132 until it reaches the end thereof and abuts the stopper 105.When the projection 94 has moved beyond the first locking surface 142 ofthe rib 132, the locking mechanism spring 92 causes the lockingmechanism 56 to move part way back to its starting position. This causesthe projection 94 to engage the first locking surface 142 of the rib132, which locks the prongs 66 in the retracted position, as shown inFIGS. 12A and 12B. In this position, the locking mechanism 56 isgenerally prevented from moving back to its starting position by thefirst locking surface stop 143.

Operation of the first mode for releasing the prongs 66 to the extendedposition is shown in FIG. 13. This mode may be referred to as a “pushpush” mode because the user pushes the prongs once to stow the prongs,and pushes the prongs again to release them into the extended position.The user pushes the prongs 66 further into the housing 64 to move theprojection 94 beyond the first locking surface stop 143 of the lockingmember 96, which allows the locking mechanism 56 to return to itsstarting position in which the end surface 106 is generally flush withthe outer surface 108 of the cover 58. The prong unit spring 85, whichbiases the prongs 66 to the extended position, forces the projection 94to move along the first travel path in which the projection 94 slidesalong the first rib surface 140 of the rib 132, as shown in FIGS. 14Aand 14B. Contact between the projection 94 and the angled second surface136 forces the locking member 96 to pivot away from the prong unit 54toward the inner surface of the cover 58. Once the projection 94 slidesbeyond the locking member 96, the locking member 96 returns to itsstarting position under the force of locking member spring 95. Theprojection 94 then rests on the second locking surface 144 to lock theprongs 66 in the extended position. In this position, movement of theprongs 66 into the housing 64 is restricted by the locking member 96.The prongs 66 of the charger device 46 may then be plugged into anelectrical outlet. The battery of the portable electronic device 10 maythen be charged when the cable 16 is connected thereto.

Operation of the second mode for releasing the prongs 66 to the extendedposition is shown in FIG. 15. In this mode, the user typically pushesthe prongs to stow the prongs, but does not touch the prongs to releasethem into the extended position. Instead, the user pushes the end 98 ofthe locking mechanism 56 into the housing 64 to move the locking member96 out of engagement with the projection 94 and release the prongs 66.The prong unit spring 85 then forces the projection 94 to move along thesecond travel path in which the projection 94 slides along second ribsurface 138 of the rib 132. Once the projection 94 slides beyond thelocking member 96, the locking mechanism spring 92 forces the lockingmechanism 56 into its extended position causing the projection 94 torest on the second locking surface 144, which locks the prongs in theextended position. In this position, movement of the prongs 66 into thehousing 64 is restricted by the locking member 96. The prongs 66 of thecharger device 46 may then be plugged into an electrical outlet. Thebattery of the portable electronic device 10 may then be charged whenthe cable 16 is connected thereto.

The base 52, the cover 58 and the locking member 56 and may be injectionmolded using a non-conductive material. A suitable plastic, such aspolycarbonate or ABS, for example, may be used. The prongs 66 are madeof an electrically conductive metal, such as steel, stainless steel orbrass, for example.

In one embodiment, the end surface 106 of the locking mechanism 56 is adifferent color than the housing 64 so that the user is able to quicklylocate the end 98. In another embodiment, a word, such as “PUSH”, forexample, is provided on the end surface 106. Alternatively, a logo,symbol or other characters may be provided on the end surface 106. Instill another embodiment, the end surface 106 is textured to facilitatelocation thereof by a user who is not looking at the charger unit 50. Itwill be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that these and otherfeatures for facilitating user-location of the button may be provided.In addition, the end 98 may be any shape that provides a useable surfacethat a user may press. The end surface 106 may include protrudingfeatures such as waves, dimples or big patterns that allow for quick andeasy user location of the button.

The retractable prongs 66 of the charger device 46 allow the overallsize of the device 46 to be reduced. This is particularly useful whentraveling because the charger device 46 may be comfortably carried inthe user's pocket or may take up only a small portion of a user'sluggage.

Another potential advantage is that by providing a retracted positionfor the charger device 46, the chance of snagging the prongs 66 onclothing or damaging luggage contents is reduced.

Another potential advantage of the charger device 46 is that the prongs66 can be extended using one hand in both modes: a single push of theend 98 or a push of the prongs 66 further into the housing 64 extendsthe prongs 66 from a retracted position. Further, the chance ofaccidental stowing of the prongs is reduced by one or more physicalfeatures described above. For example, a user's action of inserting theprongs into an electrical outlet (whether due to friction with theoutlet or misalignment of the prongs with the respective sockets) willnot ordinarily cause the prongs to be stowed.

Further, both the extending and retracting actions can be performed insituations where vision is limited by tactilely locating the end 98.

Specific embodiments have been shown and described herein. However,modifications and variations may occur to those skilled in the art. Allsuch modifications and variations are believed to be within the scopeand sphere of the present embodiments.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An electrical device comprising: a housingcomprising a cover coupled to a base; guides extending from the basedefining a passage; prongs for engaging an electrical outlet, the prongsbeing coupled to one another by a cross-member and being slidablyreceived in the passage, the prongs and the cross-member being movablerelative to the housing between a retracted position in which the prongsare received in the housing and an extended position in which the prongsprotrude from the housing, the prongs being biased toward the extendedposition by a spring; a projection extending from a side of thecross-member; a carriage received in the housing and movable relative tothe guides, the carriage being movable between a first position and asecond position and being biased toward the first position by a carriagespring; a locking member pivotably coupled to the carriage, the lockingmember comprising a first locking surface for abutting the projection tolock the prongs in the extended position when the carriage is in thefirst position, a second locking surface for abutting the projection tolock the prongs in the retracted position when the carriage is in aposition part way between the first position and the second position anda rib separating a first travel path and a second travel path, the firsttravel path and the second travel path extending between the firstlocking surface and the second locking surface, the locking member beingpivotable away from the prongs when the projection slides along thefirst travel path and being biased toward a non-pivoted position by alocking member spring; and electrical components for electricallycommunicating with a portable electronic device; wherein the prongs aremovable from the retracted position to the extended position along thefirst travel path and along the second travel path.
 2. An electricaldevice as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carriage is movable into asecond position in which an end of the carriage is received in thehousing and the projection is clear of the first locking surface and thesecond locking surface.
 3. An electrical device as claimed in claim 1,wherein the first locking surface and the second locking surface areseparated by the rib, the projection contacting the first lockingsurface and a first rib surface when moving along the first travel pathand the projection contacting the second locking surface and a secondrib surface when moving along the second travel path.
 4. An electricaldevice as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rib divides an inner side ofthe locking member, the inner side being adjacent to the prongs.
 5. Anelectrical device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking memberspring is coupled to an inner surface of the housing.
 6. An electricaldevice as claimed in claim 1, wherein to move the projection along thefirst travel path, the prongs are moved further into the housing fromthe retracted position.
 7. An electrical device as claimed in claim 2,wherein to move the projection along the second travel path, thecarriage is moved toward the second position.
 8. An electrical device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the projection is generally cylindrical. 9.An electrical device as claimed in claim 1, comprising a post extendingfrom the base, the post being received through an aperture of thecross-member.
 10. An electrical device as claimed in claim 9, whereinthe spring is received over the post to bias the prongs toward theextended position by abutting the cross-member.
 11. An electrical deviceas claimed in claim 1, wherein an end of the carriage is aligned with acutout of the cover to function as a button.
 12. An electrical device asclaimed in claim 11, wherein the end comprises tactile features.
 13. Anelectrical device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the tactile featuresare at least one of: waves, dimples and big patterns.
 14. An electricaldevice as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carriage is slidable onsupports extending from the base.